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Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Alex Heartnet on November 09, 2012, 07:53:38 pm

Title: Head of CIA resigns
Post by: Alex Heartnet on November 09, 2012, 07:53:38 pm
The timing of this is interesting.  Right after an election, really?

http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/09/politics/petraeus-cia-resignation/index.html

Quote
(CNN) -- David Petraeus, the man at the helm of the nation's largest intelligence agency, stepped down as director of the CIA on Friday, saying he had an affair.

According to a U.S. official, the FBI had a tip he was involved with his biographer, Paula Broadwell, and investigated the alleged affair to determine whether it posed a security risk.

The FBI was not investigating Petraeus for wrongdoing. The concern was that he potentially could be blackmailed or put "in a vulnerable spot," the official said.

This is still breaking news as of this post.  Couldn't find a better source then CNN.

Given what type of organization the CIA is and the odd timing of this resignation, I'm inclined to disbelieve the 'official reason' for the resignation.  But maybe I'm just paranoid and the official reason really is the real reason.   :nervous:
Title: Re: Head of CIA resigns
Post by: JCDNWarrior on November 09, 2012, 09:24:47 pm
It seems the timing is more than interesting. Now Petraeus doesn't have to testify to the Senate Intelligence Committee for the whole Benghazi ambassador situation next week. Incidentally, General Ham of AFRICOM has been removed from command while Rear Admiral Charles M. Gaouette of the USS John C. Stennis strike group was removed pending the results of an investigation by the Navy Inspector General.

It does make one wonder if there's something bigger behind this given the timing of these events.
Certainly seems all of it is very convenient but could just be coincidental or all unrelated.
Title: Re: Head of CIA resigns
Post by: General Battuta on November 09, 2012, 09:42:41 pm
It seems the timing is more than interesting. Now Petraeus doesn't have to testify to the Senate Intelligence Committee for the whole Benghazi ambassador situation next week. Incidentally, General Ham of AFRICOM has been removed from command while Rear Admiral Charles M. Gaouette of the USS John C. Stennis strike group was removed pending the results of an investigation by the Navy Inspector General.

It does make one wonder if there's something bigger behind this given the timing of these events.
Certainly seems all of it is very convenient but could just be coincidental or all unrelated.

oh my god (http://i.somethingawful.com/forumsystem/emoticons/emot-suicide.gif)
Title: Re: Head of CIA resigns
Post by: watsisname on November 09, 2012, 09:54:03 pm
Yes, there's definitely something really big going on.  That reminds me, did anybody see all those chemtrails over New Jersey before Sandy blew in?  HAARP did some kind of big test that day, too.  Everybody in the know is talking about it, though I think this is all just a smokescreen to make us miss the approach of Nibiru.
Title: Re: Head of CIA resigns
Post by: karajorma on November 09, 2012, 10:09:53 pm
I have the conspiracy theory that the government occasionally leak stuff that can be made into ridiculous conspiracy theories on the grounds that people who would otherwise spend huge amounts of free time routing out government corruption instead chase their tails following bogus conspiracy theories. 
Title: Re: Head of CIA resigns
Post by: watsisname on November 09, 2012, 10:12:37 pm
That's a pretty good theory!
Title: Re: Head of CIA resigns
Post by: deathfun on November 10, 2012, 03:23:40 am
That's a pretty good theory!

It actually makes sense...
Title: Re: Head of CIA resigns
Post by: NGTM-1R on November 10, 2012, 03:41:38 am
Now Petraeus doesn't have to testify to the Senate Intelligence Committee for the whole Benghazi ambassador situation next week.

You think resigning would get him off from this? He was the man there at the time, they're going to talk to him. If they don't, that does not reflect a conspiracy on the part of Petraeus but a conspiracy on the part of the Congressional committee who acted like complete morons.

(ITT People still not realizing the Stennis was by Taiwan when this **** went down.)
Title: Re: Head of CIA resigns
Post by: JCDNWarrior on November 10, 2012, 04:55:43 am
Now Petraeus doesn't have to testify to the Senate Intelligence Committee for the whole Benghazi ambassador situation next week.

You think resigning would get him off from this? He was the man there at the time, they're going to talk to him. If they don't, that does not reflect a conspiracy on the part of Petraeus but a conspiracy on the part of the Congressional committee who acted like complete morons.

(ITT People still not realizing the Stennis was by Taiwan when this **** went down.)

Instead of Petraeus, acting CIA Director Mike Morell will be called in to testify, so it's possible the Senate Intelligence Committee will be directing their attention to him which could leave Petraeus out of the line of fire. Guess we'll see if that's the case or not.

I still do think it's valid to look into these resignations (and removal of command) that occurred pretty quickly after each other after an event that left an important ambassador dead in a recently liberated country in a similar fashion as Gaddafi was treated, in the city praised for being the starting point of the Libyan uprising.

The case with Admiral Gaouette, removed for "inappropriate leadership judgement" is a strange one though, his force wasn't in the area during the Sept. 11 attack but was headed for the same theater and yet was fired pretty quickly after General Ham was. This is a case where it can really be just coincidental timing and where more concrete information needs to be released to really judge the cause or relation with Petraeus and General Ham, or Benghazi.

Lastly, I wouldn't really state it's one big conspiracy, just that the timing is interesting given the events that have come to pass, making this interesting to watch. At least it beats reality TV in it's entertainment value. :P
Title: Re: Head of CIA resigns
Post by: Bobboau on November 10, 2012, 05:55:15 am
timing: I want to quit but if I do it now it will be headline news for the next 6 months and it will put me and my boss in the spotlight, I should just wait until the media bloodlust has settled and then quit.
Title: Re: Head of CIA resigns
Post by: The E on November 10, 2012, 06:25:36 am
Quote
Instead of Petraeus, acting CIA Director Mike Morell will be called in to testify, so it's possible the Senate Intelligence Committee will be directing their attention to him which could leave Petraeus out of the line of fire. Guess we'll see if that's the case or not.

Even if that happens, if Morell's answers are not satisfactory, I don't doubt that the Committee will hesitate to invite Petraeus to testify.

Quote
Lastly, I wouldn't really state it's one big conspiracy, just that the timing is interesting given the events that have come to pass, making this interesting to watch. At least it beats reality TV in it's entertainment value.

The problem is that all of these could very well be (and probably are) unconnected. Governments do a lot of things simultaneously; that does not mean that all things are connected.

But then, trying to argue reality with someone who has already subscribed to the "It's all connected!" mindset is about as futile as trying to argue with a wall.
Title: Re: Head of CIA resigns
Post by: LordPomposity on November 10, 2012, 07:44:06 am
petraeus is lizard people
Title: Re: Head of CIA resigns
Post by: Phantom Hoover on November 10, 2012, 09:08:45 am
Aquinas spoke of the mythical City on the Hill. Soon that city will be a reality, and the Federal Reserve will be crowned its kings. Or better than kings. Gods.
Title: Re: Head of CIA resigns
Post by: Dilmah G on November 10, 2012, 09:31:29 am
I was going to post in this thread about how I expected better integrity from the General and the biographer (who seems to be a bit of a looker), and then saw the decay of thread potential. In response, I offer you this image macro with my departure.

(http://0-media-cdn.foolz.us/ffuuka/board/sp/image/1340/87/1340870001101.gif)
Title: Re: Head of CIA resigns
Post by: Phantom Hoover on November 10, 2012, 09:48:34 am
A general having less integrity than they're supposed to isn't really a surprising development.
Title: Re: Head of CIA resigns
Post by: The E on November 10, 2012, 10:49:08 am
I was going to post in this thread about how I expected better integrity from the General and the biographer (who seems to be a bit of a looker), and then saw the decay of thread potential. In response, I offer you this image macro with my departure.

Really. You really are going to go "I expected better of him", when all that has happened is that he had a nonsexual relationship with that woman, and he resigned because his integrity forced him to?

(Besides, this just means that he's just human after all. Not the living embodiment of soldiery virtues. Doesn't make him any less respectable in my opinion.)
Title: Re: Head of CIA resigns
Post by: NGTM-1R on November 10, 2012, 08:21:50 pm
He's still going to end up being compared to Eisenhower/Nimitz et. al. because that's the sort of leader he is. (Obviously they dealt with a different sort of problem, but most people who've met Petreaus seem to think the comparison is apt.) This ultimately isn't going to change that.
Title: Re: Head of CIA resigns
Post by: Dilmah G on November 10, 2012, 11:17:08 pm
I was going to post in this thread about how I expected better integrity from the General and the biographer (who seems to be a bit of a looker), and then saw the decay of thread potential. In response, I offer you this image macro with my departure.

Really. You really are going to go "I expected better of him", when all that has happened is that he had a nonsexual relationship with that woman, and he resigned because his integrity forced him to?

(Besides, this just means that he's just human after all. Not the living embodiment of soldiery virtues. Doesn't make him any less respectable in my opinion.)
Was it a non-sexual relationship? I may have misread/read a different news source in that case. The article I read in the Saturday paper made it out to be a bit of a scandal.

I can acknowledge that he's human, but a former Staff Officer having an affair with a Senior Officer when both are married is something I thought a bit below Petraeus.
Title: Re: Head of CIA resigns
Post by: MP-Ryan on November 11, 2012, 12:07:14 am
I love how even HLP has some conspiracy wackjobs.

Anyway, I was going to say this is a substantial loss for the US intelligence community.  Petraeus was an immense asset to the US military and intelligence communities, and he's leaving some big shoes to fill.  Pretty sad that it's all because of some indesretion that should really just be between the parties involved, but he knew there'd be a media frenzy if there was even so much as a whiff of improper levels of access.
Title: Re: Head of CIA resigns
Post by: Scotty on November 11, 2012, 03:47:57 am
I was going to post in this thread about how I expected better integrity from the General and the biographer (who seems to be a bit of a looker), and then saw the decay of thread potential. In response, I offer you this image macro with my departure.

Really. You really are going to go "I expected better of him", when all that has happened is that he had a nonsexual relationship with that woman, and he resigned because his integrity forced him to?

(Besides, this just means that he's just human after all. Not the living embodiment of soldiery virtues. Doesn't make him any less respectable in my opinion.)
Was it a non-sexual relationship? I may have misread/read a different news source in that case. The article I read in the Saturday paper made it out to be a bit of a scandal.

I can acknowledge that he's human, but a former Staff Officer having an affair with a Senior Officer when both are married is something I thought a bit below Petraeus.

The article linked early in the thread goes out of its way to state that the relationship was non-sexual.  It was, in essence, a potential security breach waiting to happen, and the director removed himself before it became a problem.
Title: Re: Head of CIA resigns
Post by: karajorma on November 11, 2012, 04:25:27 am
Where does it say that? I must be reading too fast / reading the wrong article. All I can see is extramarital affair.
Title: Re: Head of CIA resigns
Post by: Mikes on November 11, 2012, 05:39:14 am
I was going to post in this thread about how I expected better integrity from the General and the biographer (who seems to be a bit of a looker), and then saw the decay of thread potential. In response, I offer you this image macro with my departure.

Really. You really are going to go "I expected better of him", when all that has happened is that he had a nonsexual relationship with that woman, and he resigned because his integrity forced him to?

(Besides, this just means that he's just human after all. Not the living embodiment of soldiery virtues. Doesn't make him any less respectable in my opinion.)
Was it a non-sexual relationship? I may have misread/read a different news source in that case. The article I read in the Saturday paper made it out to be a bit of a scandal.

I can acknowledge that he's human, but a former Staff Officer having an affair with a Senior Officer when both are married is something I thought a bit below Petraeus.

The article linked early in the thread goes out of its way to state that the relationship was non-sexual.  It was, in essence, a potential security breach waiting to happen, and the director removed himself before it became a problem.

Um, non sexual relationship?

Did they meet up for boardgames or something?
People not allowed to have friends?

Help me out there lol.
Title: Re: Head of CIA resigns
Post by: Legate Damar on November 11, 2012, 05:43:11 am
petraeus is lizard people

He wishes he was
Title: Re: Head of CIA resigns
Post by: The E on November 11, 2012, 05:45:37 am
Apparently, what happened was that the FBI had cause to examine General Petraeus' email account and the accounts of others surrounding him. While examining them, they found a stash of love letters going back and forth between Petraeus and Ms Broadwell. There has been no indication of them acting upon this; or if there is, noone's saying anything.

petraeus is lizard people

He wishes he was

Neither the time nor the place, LD.
Title: Re: Head of CIA resigns
Post by: Scotty on November 11, 2012, 01:15:31 pm
Where does it say that? I must be reading too fast / reading the wrong article. All I can see is extramarital affair.

My mistake.  I read "not investigating for wrongdoing" and immediately jumped to a conclusion.
Title: Re: Head of CIA resigns
Post by: Luis Dias on November 11, 2012, 01:43:05 pm
(http://0-media-cdn.foolz.us/ffuuka/board/sp/image/1340/87/1340870001101.gif)

HEEEY. Ronaldo is a jerk, but not an anti-semitic. STOP PERSECUTING THE PORTUGUEEEESE.


(as a completely uninteresting Off Topic, he is saying "Injustiça".